COW TIPPING

Cow Tipping When I was a kid the group of boys I hung around with were basically pretty good kids. Not as perfect as I would like people to believe sometimes. We did make a little mischief now and then, which was hard to do in a small town. Eveyone knew all of our pranks and it was hard to come up with new ones.

We would set a bag of dog poop on fire on somebodies front step then ring the door bell and run. Out of the dozen times we tried that one, not once did anyone come running out of the house screaming and stomping on the bag to put out the fire. They would just kick it off the porch and hollor in the darkness that they were going to tell our parents. But they didn't know exactly who it was.

I guess our favorite mischief was raiding gardens. Just about everyone in town had a garden. We'd sneak around after dark and feast on cucumbers and carrots. Our favorite garden was our postmaster's. He had a higher fence but he grew strawberries and raspberries, that was living. Every now and then someone came out and chase us away. We'd head for the bushes and again they would hollor into the darkness "Get out of here before I send the dog out." Which was a laugh because just like they knew all the rotten kids in town we knew all the rotten dogs. And chances were there dog was already with us along with there kid.

But the one almighty prank of pranks, the one thing that would put us in the book of famous pranksters, would be if we could tip a cow. Let me run through this real quick for those of you who never heard of cow tipping. First off, cows sleep standing up, We did'nt know why they slept standing up, maybe thier legs won't bend that way or maybe it's to keep predators away. If it's the predator thing it didn't work to keep us away.

There was only one person in town that had cows. His first name was Premo, and He had about ten cows in a small pasture. We tried this once before, but too many guys showed up at Premo's pasture. We had a possey of twenty-five teen age boys. Premo came out and shot his shotgun in the air, we took off running in all directions and the cows scattered all over the place, what a mess. But that was the year before and we were ready to try again.

Wally was the first to mention it. He said that me and him could do it and not tell anyone else. We'd go out at midnight and tip us a cow. That sounded well and good but Wally could sneak out of his house at midnight. I couldn't, to many sisters and a brother. Some one would always wake up and set off the alarm then everyone would wake up.

I would have to tell Marty so we could go camping. It would be just the three of us. But Marty's cousin Stan was staying over, could he come along? O.K. but thats all except for Russel who was a slow runner but always wanted to tip a cow. But that was it, just the five of us.

Everything was in place. It was midnight. So the seven of us , Jim and Billy couldn't be left out either. We snuck off down the road to Premo's pasture.

We had a meeting before hand and made a plan. Wear dark cloths, no flashlights, be very quite. Aproach the cows with the wind in our faces so they could'nt smell us. When we found the right cow, Me and Wally would tip it. Every one else would be quiet and watch. If it didn't wake the others, someone else could tip the next cow, and so on. And by all means don't do the bull.

All of a suden here we are. Quitely one by one we went over the fence. We could see all the cows appeared to be sleeping. Premos house was dark, he had no dog. The wind was to our faces. We tip toed, crept and crawled up to a likely cow. We could do this. Me and Wally moved in for the score. We were at its side, the cow was sleeping, we didn't wake it. I slowly put my two hands side by side by it's front shoulder. Wally was possitioned at it's rear flank. Quitely he motioned One- two- three, and together we pushed with all our might. It wabbled, and for a second we thought it wouldn't go down. Then after the wabble it wiggled and shook. It turned fast knocking Wally down on his butt in a big warm cow pie. It took off runing and mooing and bumped into another cow that was sleeping on its feet. That one was mader then the first, it groweled at us. All the cows and the bull woke up. All mooing and running blindly in the small pasture . Seven fourteen and fifteen yeary old boys running to get out of thier way.

The cows tipped over two more boys. Stan and Billy were tipped into cow pies by diferant cows. Luckly no one got stepped on in the stampeed. We all made it over tha fence and out of danger of the mad cows. We were in the trees before Premo came out.

We didn't get a cow tipped, and we never tried again. Those cows probably were`nt even sleeping, just being quite. I think the joke was on us. But the younger boys in town thought we tipped one, so we were heros. We didn't want to dim thier impression of us so we let them think it.

*******************************THE END**************************

I`ve Been Double Tagged!!

I`ve been tagged by Patty and Jettie,over at http://www.calicocatpress.blogspot.com/ and http://westartandendwithfamily.blogspot.com/ I must be a popular kinda guy.



The rules of the game are as follows:
1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.


Here i go, the unimportant things about me are:


1. I have very bad sleeping habits, snoring, groaning, tossing and turning, talking in my sleep. (which really is`nt unimportant to the Mrs`s)


2. I`ve put on some weight this winter, but i choose to believe my flannel shirts are shrinking in the wash.


3. When i was in Vietnam, for R&R i chose to stay incountry rather than take a free flight to Australia, or anywhere else, because i did`nt want to miss anything that was going on. (smacks myself in the forehead)


4. I have a very sensitive gag reflex, dentist have to give me gas for the littlest things done on my teeth. Even if i close my eyes and imagine something going into my mouth i will gag.


5. I have no dancing rythm, zip, nada. This white guy can`t dance a lick.


6. I don`t normally swear much but i do when i drink, the more i drink the more i swear. Good thing i don`t drink much.


OK, that`s done, as for the tagging, i am not going to tag anyone, all my bloggers have already been tagged for this one. haha

IS THERE LIFE OUT THERE

I am alive. I haven't been here for awhile and I"m afraid people have stopped coming around to check. I only have a few more days of working these long days. Today we don't start until 8:00 so I have a little time before I go. Nothing new has been happening in my life. I've got a real good farmers tan. I look tanned good and healthy until I take off my shirt then I look two toned.
I think I'm going to retire, again. Since I retired with 33 years from L.T.V. mining I've retired from an over the road trucking co. A propane co. a bait shop and soon to be a dock co.. I've had other offers of employment. The latest that I'm considering is a professional trapper. That sounds like something I might like.
So if there's anyone out there I'd like you to know I'm back and I'll try to be here every day. So don't count me out yet. I have a lot of blogs to read and answer and If I get home tonight with any energy left I'll start on that. And I have tomorrow off so I'm going to see if I can come with a story I know a few of you like them.

HOUSE ON HOLLYHOCK HILL

House on Hollyhock Hill (part two) So the big night came. I said I was staying at Marty's house, Marty said he was staying at mine. We took our sleeping bags and flashlights. Taking guns or knife would be braking the rules of bravery. When we went out, it was just starting to get dark. There was a dozen or more guys at the fence line to support us. The older ones gloating because they made it. The younger ones shaking in fear knowing that in a year or two they would have to go in to test there manhood and test fate.

Some made it some didn't. We all knew the ones who did. The ones who didn't were all dead or in the mental institute.

So there we were at the door, I turned the handle. the watchers held their breath. We were in. We stood frozen in the door way. We both contemplated turning and running for home. But if we did we wouldn't be able to live in this town anymore.

Timidly we started to explore before it got to dark. Everything was dusty, the white lace curtains hung limp, it was deadly quit. We went from room to room. We looked out the window. There they were, at least twenty guys watching to see if we would run.There were pictures on the wall of a woman, it must be her. The wallpaper was ripped, the floor was dirty. I heard a sound and turned quickly, a mouse. Good, it wasn't a ghost.

It was dark now, we rolled out our sleeping bags in the front room close to the door. We had our flashlight's on when we heard the click at the front door.We went to investigate, thinking someone was fooling with us.We found the door locked, no one was around. Minor panic, how did that happen? We tiptoed around to the side door, it too was locked.

Then we heard a sound from upstairs thump, thump,------thump, thump, Like a ghost walking around. then an eerily quit hung over the whole place . We were'nt really trapped because the doors were locked, half the windows were broken we could have gotten out.

looking out the window into the dark we though we could see reflections of light coming from an upstairs window. the same one we earlier heard the thumping sounds. What time was it we didn't know, we both forgot to bring a watch. It's going to be a long night. Dog's barking sounded different. They say dog's know when a ghost or death was around.

Then out of no ware a cat came flying down the stairway screeching as if it was being chased by the devil or flung by a witch. Then I swear I could here laughter from above. It must be the ghost Hanna. Now we were scared, Marty grabbed the door handle, I was right behind him. It was locked. Good thing we couldn't run, we huddled close together. We heard the side door slam and evil laughter. We froze and stayed that way all night we couldn't move, we couldn't sleep. But after the door, all we heard was small sounds, mice, dog's in the distance, bug's buzzing, wind, our heart beats. We didn't even talk except in whispers.

It was a long night but morning was coming, the sky was getting lighter. We though it was just about over when BANG the said door opened. We jumped, then from the side room came three older boys. One of which was my friend Wally, with him was Bebo and Gordy. We were white, they were laughing.

They told us we made it. Then they told us the rules. Then made us swear a blood oath that we would never tell anyone what happened in the haunted house. It was them upstairs making howling noises, it was them with the cat, and slamming doors and laughing.

We just had to wait one hour and walk out the front door. We couldn't say a word to anyone, just go home. They would be out front with everyone else and would signal us when we could leave. When the signal came, Me and Marty were still white as sheets. We were dead tired so saying nothing was easy. We went home and to bed.

The following years we were allowed to be part of the older guys scaring the younger boys.
That house wasn't haunted after all. Hanna Helstroms haunted house on Hollyhock hill was just a house.

I missed that haunted house. I guess I miss it still.


*************************THE END******************************

HOUSE ON HOLLYHOCK HILL part 1

House on Hollyhock Hill. (part 1)


I grew up in a small town with a post office, a gas station, a junk yard and a school that went up to the sixth grade. We had no other business's. But we did have a pretty good ice skating rink, and a baseball diamond at the school yard and a population of kids that must have been four kids for every set of parents.


There was always something going on in the summer time. We had a never ending baseball game going on at the school yard. When ever you got there you would go on the team with the least players. The teams were always changing, kids were coming and going.You could always win or lose marble or trade baseball cards all day, all summer in the school yard. There were girls there to, but back then we didn't mix much, on perpose anyway. The girls played hopscotch and jacks. they played with paper dolls and hulla hoops. In general life was good in Parkville in the sixtys.


The one worrisome thing both boy's and girl's had in common was the house at the end of Hollyhock Hill road. It was only two blocks from the school. It was huge, three stories tall with a cellar some people say it had a dungeon. Everyone knew it was haunted.. Everyone.


Us boys would go up to the base of the fence line at the top of the hill. Then one by one we would take turns running up the path and touching the door and run back to show how brave we were. Then just to be safe when we got back with the others we had to spin around in a circles three times spit on the ground and say "Hollyhock Hana from Hollyhock hill ,the devil was watching and he's watching still." We'd say this for protection from the ghost of Hana Helstrom. She was said to have killed three kids in that very house then hung Herself from the rafters. And it was said that she left a note saying She would come back from the dead to get anymore kids She could catch in Her house. needless to say we might have been brave enough to touch the door but we were'nt about to go in.


Not then anyway. But before we hit sixteen ,to show we were a man ,we had to spend the night in Hana Helstroms hunted house. For all the brave talk nobody wanted to spend the night in that house. And nobody wanted to be the one who wouldn't.


Other boys have been spending the night in that house for at least one hundred years or so. But whenever they came out, it was always the same. None of them would ever say What happened in that house.They all looked white and shaken.


At different times we've all seen candle light in the windows. and the white lace curtains blowing without a wind. Sometimes we would see shadows pass in the windows or hear strange sounds.


In the summer of my fifteenth year it was my turn. I was going in with Marty. We would spend the night. My good friend Wally who was one year older then Me and Marty spent the night in there last summer. He has never said a word about what happened in there that night. All we were told by any of the boys that were older was make out a last will and testament. Sometimes boys would die or disappear in there. Sometimes they would go mad and end up in a mental institution. We were worried because if an older guy said something like that you just knew it was true.


(To Be Continued)

I AM RETIRED

I am retired! I am retired! I am retired!

Well I'm mostly retired. But like an alcoholic I sometimes sled back. I like being on the water, and I like making A few bucks from time to time. Jim the owner has been a friend of mine sense we were teenagers so we have a good time bobbing around out their.

Yesterday out on the lake the boat trifice wasn't as bad as I though it would be. Everybody must have known the lake was mostly froze and went somewhere else. Today won't be bad either.

It snowed here all night. Most of the early evening it was mixed with rain. But we did manage to get about two inches on the ground by morning.

We're starting work a little later this morning, so I'm taking Grandma out to Breakfast. And by the way HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all you mothers. That didn't sound right I meant to" all you mother's of children.

FISHING OPENER

Good Morning;

It's finally Saturday. It's finally the first day of fishing. So what am I doing this morning? I'm working. Opening weekend I usually don't go fishing on Lake Vermilion anyway, It's way to crowded. Now today I'll be out their fighting the crowds with a forty foot barge. Most of the lake is still covered with ice. Out of a lake that's twenty miles long we have only a few miles of open water. With hundreds of boats packed in the narrows. I hope we don't run over anyone. I'm going to take a camera today to get pictures. I will be working tomorrow to But this will only last for about three more weeks.

I've still have a lot to learn about this computer. I found a blog sight that I'd really like to reply to but for some reason I can't send my coment's . I got through once, she takes wonderful pictures of birds http://lisaschaos.blog-city.com/ I'll get it figured out.

And with all this business, I will come up with a story for Monday morning. Grandma reminded me of the hunted house I had in our town when I was a kid. Mabe that will work.